User Reviews

Reviews by mikeys01:

Although labeled cask conditioned, the Innocence seemed to be a regular draught offering, served quite chilled and well carbonated. Aside from that, the Innocence Ale is delicious and damn tasty. The Innocence arrives in my glass a murky dark amber color, unfiltered and hazy, capped with just the right amount of off white head. That's what I'm talking about, an nice down and dirty IPA, no polish applied or needed here.
Aroma was sweet and fruity, mostly citric hops, though a certain bit of sharpness is also noticeable, perhaps due to the alcohol content. Taste eases into a sticky mess of hop flavor, more like easing into a lazy boy recliner than a hop attack however. Good backbone of malt helps level the playing field, with toasty and caramely flavors adding complexity. Body is medium heavy as a double should be, mouthfeel is dangerously smooth and drinkable. Finish brings back a fresh wave of resiny bitterness, along with a building warmth. Very tasty offering from City Steam, enjoy it while you can...

Taste--Nice and bitter. Very pronounced floral hops. Malts are very difficult to find beneath the hops, but this beer isn't really trying to be balanced, so that's really not too much of an issue. Despite being a pretty strong brew, the alcohol is difficult to discern, but it does creep up on you.

The beer is a deep, almost ruby brown amber. Mostly opaque, with a bit of translucency when held to light. A sturdy, squat topping of ivory froth caps the brew, keeping easily through the entire pint, the last sip still keeping an even, filmy coating. Great brussels lacing, leaving a series of rings around the glass. I like an unfiltered, unfined beer, and this does not disappoint.
The aroma is strong and powerful, although not quite as hoppy as I expected. The hops are definitely there, presiding over everything else, but with a more gentle, delicate quality that you normally expect from such an aggressive style. A stylish floral scent suggests at noble hops, with an undercurrent of piney, citric, high alpha hops to get the job done. Plenty of malt back up the hops, really balanced quite nicely with a soft toasty sweetness. Mild fruitiness suggests apricot and pear, with a touch of mild yeast to integrate it all together.
The flavor starts with strong toasty malt, a bit of caramel sweetness meandering throughout the sip, never allowing the hops to take over completely. A slight apricot fruitiness pricks up just before the hops, which show up early to steal the show. The bitterness is restrained, but still very strong. A bit less subtle than the aroma suggests, with a concentrated, oily citrus and pine flavor. The hop flavor is so heavy it's almost sweet. A gentle topping of soft noble hops creates a bit of nuance in the finish, adding a refined touch. A light yeasty flavor mellows the brew out, reducing some of the hop abrasiveness. A lingering hop bite remains on the tongue long in the aftertaste. Fairly full bodied, with passive, english feeling carbonation. A smooth, even textured mouthfeel.
This is somewhat similar to the Sam Adams double IPA I tried at the Extreme Beer Fest, in it's delicacy. The only difference is that Innocence's hopping is up to the challenge of carrying such a large style, which the Sam Adams wasn't. A graceful beer that somehow carries it's bulk as if it were as light as a feather. A double IPA masquerading as a pale ale in terms of drinkability. Hopefully Ron Page will grace us with this again, and maybe next time we'll be able to bring home a growler's worth!